Banging the drums to help beat Tourette’s

By: Simon Fuller
Posted: 04/6/2011 3:58 AM

According to his mom, there were days when Ethan Ginter would come home from school without a civil word in his mouth. He would head straight into the basement and bang on his drum kit for half an hour before he could get on with his day. Eventually, thanks to a suggestion from a psychologist, Ethan, who is now 12, was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome — a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics and vocal outbursts. "There aren’t that many people that know about it, yet around one in 100 people are now diagnosed with it," said Ethan’s mom, Patti.


Ethan also suffers from ADHD, which is treated with medication. She advises parents to look for early warning signs of Tourette syndrome. "We knew something was not quite right, but we couldn’t explain it," she said. "Ethan lacked concentration and he was the busiest kid ever. He would snort involuntarily and we spent a long time telling him to get a Kleenex and blow his nose," Patti laughed.


Once Ethan was diagnosed, Patti joined a support group before the pair started visiting the Tourette Syndrome Service clinic, which is part of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Program at St. Boniface General Hospital. Patti says it’s been a lifesaver.

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